


right here by my side

by bramgreenfeld



Series: sidekick [2]
Category: Rise (TV 2018)
Genre: Confessions, Late Night Conversations, M/M, Making Out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-29
Updated: 2018-05-29
Packaged: 2019-05-15 05:56:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14784788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bramgreenfeld/pseuds/bramgreenfeld
Summary: Maybe by giving up a few of his own truths, Jeremy can get Simon to tell him his.





	right here by my side

**Author's Note:**

> i wasn't planning on writing a sequel to something in the air is giving me bad ideas but this just sort of happened i guess? enjoy it  
> title from sidekick by walk the moon
> 
> find me on tumblr @glorioussimon and twitter @annileej

“You never answered my question,” Jeremy asked into the dark. He wasn’t worried about waking Simon up - somehow he knew that the other boy was still awake.

 

He heard Simon shift on the ground, turning over to face him. If Jeremy squinted, he could see the outlines of his face. “I thought I did,” Simon said.

 

“You kissed me,” Jeremy replied. “And as much as I liked it, it didn’t really give me any answers.”

 

Simon didn’t respond.

 

“Simon?”

 

Finally Simon sighed, sitting up and leaning back against the wall. Jeremy could see the moonlight glinting off of his dark eyes. “Can we...not talk about it?”

 

Jeremy frowned. “What do you mean, not talk about it?”

 

“What do you _think_ I mean?” Simon snapped. “I shouldn’t have done it. It was a stupid decision.”

 

For a moment Jeremy simply stared at him. He could feel Simon looking back at him, and it was like a silent challenge, each daring the other to look away. Simon broke first, looking down at the floor and twisting his fingers in the blanket that covered him. Jeremy reached for his phone and turned on the flashlight, shining it at Simon. Simon hissed as it reached his eyes. “ _Please_ point that somewhere else.”

 

Jeremy relocated the beam of light to the floor, creating a line between them. “Why did you do it, then?”

 

“Do what?”

 

“Kiss me.” Jeremy rolled his eyes. “What else would I be talking about? Why kiss me if you want to pretend it never happened?”

 

“Why do you think?”

 

Jeremy sighed. “I’m tired of you responding to questions with more questions. Would it kill you to be honest for once in your life?”

 

Simon’s bitter laugh startled him. “I was honest, Jeremy. I was honest when I kissed you downstairs, and look where it’s going to get me. My dad’s going to kick me out of the house when he finds out. He’s probably already figured out that I’m…not what he wants me to be, and I don’t know what the _fuck_ I’m supposed to do!”

 

The last few words came out louder than expected, and Simon’s eyes widened. “Is anyone else home?”

 

Jeremy shook his head. “No. Hardly ever.”

 

“Why?”

 

Jeremy put his phone beside him on the bed, the beam pointing at the ceiling. “Come up here,” he said. Simon stood up, shuffling across the room and perching awkwardly on the edge of the bed. The light from Jeremy’s phone illuminated Simon’s face, softening his features. He looked like he was carved from marble, beautiful and cold.

 

“So,” Jeremy said, turning to face him. “Here’s what we’re going to do. For every truth I give you, you’ll give me one of yours.”

 

Simon raised an eyebrow. “So. Truth or dare without the dare?”

 

“If that’s how you want to think about it.” Simon bit his lip. “You can go first if you want,” said Jeremy, seeing the other boy’s hesitation.

 

Simon sighed. “Okay,” he said. “You already know what I’m going to ask.”

 

“Why I’m home alone?” Jeremy asked. Simon nodded, drawing his legs up to his chest and resting his head on his knees. Jeremy shrugged. “There isn’t much to tell, actually. My parents work at night, and even when they are here, they leave me alone. _Always_ alone.” He tried not to let the bitterness in his thoughts creep into his voice. “And you already know that my brother’s away at college.” Every time that Simon stayed over, Jeremy offered to let him stay in Zach’s old room. Every time, Simon opted to sleep on Jeremy’s floor instead.

 

The corners of Simon’s mouth were turned down, a million questions swimming in his eyes. Finally, he spoke. “Do you-”

 

Jeremy held up a hand. “It’s my turn,” he said. Simon smiled, ducking his head, and Jeremy felt his heart stutter. “Why don’t you ever want to go home?”

 

Simon’s smile vanished instantly. Jeremy could feel him trying to come up with a lie, could see the conflict in his face. Before he could stop himself, Jeremy reached out, touching the other boy’s cheek. Simon froze for a moment, then leaned into his touch. “You can’t just internalize everything, you know?” Jeremy said, leaning closer to Simon. “That’ll just make it worse. Trust me, I know.”

 

Simon reached up, touching Jeremy’s hand. “It’s like I said,” he breathed. “My dad. He...the way he talks, it’s just…” He shook his head. “He hates that I’m never home, but he’d hate me more if I _was_ home. If he knew that I’m…” He sighed and leaned away from Jeremy. “I can’t say it,” he whispered.

 

“That’s okay,” Jeremy replied. Simon shook his head. “Simon, _it’s okay_. You don’t have to instantly know who you are and instantly be fine with it.”

 

Simon didn’t respond, blinking a few times. “My turn,” he said. “Do you like being alone?”

 

Jeremy frowned. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting Simon to ask, but it certainly wasn’t that. “I don’t know,” he said slowly. “I mean, I have friends, but my brother, Zach - he was my best friend. He was always there for me, and we Skype as much as we can, but it’s not the same at all. Everything feels a lot…emptier without him. You being here makes it a lot better, though.” Simon smiled at that, his face flushing, and Jeremy couldn’t help but smile back. “Okay, next question: why do you get into so many fights?”

 

“Because I make bad decisions,” Simon said. “Next question?”

 

“Hey,” said Jeremy, reaching out and grabbing Simon’s hand. “That doesn’t count.”

 

Simon looked like he was going to pull away, but he intertwined his fingers with Jeremy’s instead, squeezing his hand tightly. “It’s the truth,” he said. “I get so angry that I can’t think, and then I do stupid things. Like get into fights.”

 

Jeremy ran his thumb over the bandage over Simon’s knuckles. “Then why-”

 

Simon held up a hand. “My turn,” he said. He was still staring at their hands. Jeremy couldn’t read his expression. “Um, what’s your favorite color?”

 

Jeremy was startled into a laugh. “Really?”

 

“I can’t think of anything else!”

 

Jeremy smiled. “Okay. My favorite color is blue.”

 

“What’s your next question?”

   

“The same as yours, I guess.”

 

“Wow _._ Where’s the creativity?”

 

“Just answer it.”

 

Simon laughed. “Okay, okay. It’s red.”

 

The questions asked after that were simultaneously meaningless and meaning everything. Jeremy learned about Simon’s sister, the person he loved most in the world. He learned about his best friend. He learned his favorite ice cream flavor. In return, Jeremy told Simon about his music, about his favorite memories with his older brother, about his falling out with his best friend a few months ago. Talking to Simon was easy, Jeremy thought. It was comfortable. Everything about it felt so _right_.

 

At some point Simon’s head ended up in Jeremy’s lap. “One more question,” he said, staring up at him.

 

“Okay,” said Jeremy, running a hand through Simon’s hair.

 

“Will you kiss me?”

 

Jeremy froze, his gaze instantly traveling to Simon’s lips. “Sorry,” Simon said quickly. “You don’t have to - I mean…”

 

Jeremy leaned down and kissed him hungrily. Simon reached up, grabbing the sides of his face, pulling him closer. Somehow Jeremy ended up on top of him, straddling him, Simon’s tongue in his mouth and his hands under his shirt. Jeremy wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that. It felt like hours, and hours felt like not enough. But at some point Simon pulled away, laying down beside him. His eyes didn’t leave Jeremy’s lips.

 

“You know,” he said, reaching out to touch Jeremy’s hand. “If you were to be my boyfriend, we wouldn’t be able to be… together. In public. I want to be with you, I want everything about you, but I just…”

 

“Simon,” said Jeremy. He twined his fingers with the other boy’s, squeezing his hand. “That’s completely fine.”

 

“Is it?” said Simon.

 

Jeremy nodded. “I want to be with you,” he said. “I don’t care how.”

 

Simon smiled and leaned forwards to kiss him softly. That one quick, sweet kiss was somehow better than the heated ones that they had shared before.

 

"Can I stay up here tonight? With you?” Simon asked quietly. He hadn’t let go of Jeremy’s hand.

 

Jeremy put his arm around Simon’s waist, pulling him closer. “As if I was going to let you sleep on the floor,” he said.

 

Simon laughed, burying his head in Jeremy’s shoulder. Neither of them had ever slept as well as they did that night, in each other’s arms, knowing that whatever happened in the future, no matter when Simon came knocking at Jeremy’s door, the other would be there for him.

 


End file.
